Richard Simmons told People that he didn’t plan on making any wishes over buttercream or fudge frosting on his birthday. “The candle will probably be on a zucchini,” he quipped. “You know, I’m a vegetarian.” However, he later confessed that he might give in to his sweet tooth. “Okay, fine. Maybe one Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie,” he said. We’re really hoping Simmons did not deny himself that one tiny treat.
While the sunny sovereign of sweat — or “weight saint,” as he referred to himself on X — seemed relentlessly perky and enthusiastic, the tragic truth about Simmons is that he had an unhealthy relationship with food when he was younger. He told Men’s Health that he developed eating disorders after spending years being overweight and unhappy. “Bulimic, anorexic, you name it. … I almost lost my life,” he said. Eventually, he made a commitment to getting healthy and discovered the joys of exercising. He founded a gym called Slimmons Studio, where gym goers could enjoy a healthy dose of high camp with their endorphin highs. He was still teaching classes there in 2012 when he told Men’s Health, “If I have to die, I want to combust in the middle of one of my classes.” Sadly, he shuttered his studio’s doors in 2016, and fans became worried about his whereabouts when Simmons did a disappearing act. By becoming active on social media, he allayed their fears.
